Igniting system for internal-combustion engines.



o. HOLEN. IGNIHNG'SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APHLICATION FILED DEC. 28. I916.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

I SHEETS-SHEET l- V OLE HOLEN mm m mull 0. HOLEN'.

IGNITING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION ElLEII DEC. 26. 1916.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3141mm OLE HOLEN I .partly in section .il .member .as herein employed OLE HOLEN, 0F WYNDMEBE, NORTH DAKOTA.

IGNITING SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed-December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,935.

1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLE HOLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at NVyndmere, in the county of Richland and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in I .niting Systerns for Internal-Combustion gngines, of which .the following is a specificat on, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

This .invention relates to certain improvements in igniting systems for ,internal .com bustion engines and it is an object of ,the invention .to ,provide a system of this general character including ,novel and improved means whereby a circuit ,f or a sparker is closed in a convenientand efiective manner.

The invention also has for an object to providea system of this general character wherein is employed a .novel and mproved Gircuitclosercomprising a rotatable member operat e y onnec e i a P .k a contact member coacting .with the rotary member ,and operatively engaged with a requisite source 0 energy, and wherein sa d last named member is capable of adjustment relative to the rotary ,member n order-to efi'ectspark control.

The invention consists in :the details of construction and .in the combination and arrangement of the severalparts of my improved system whereby .certaln important advantages are attalned and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise ,more convenient and advantageous for use, all,as will be=hereinafter more ,fully set forth.

The .novel features of the invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better-understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with referenceto thev accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is .aview in top .plan of an internal. combustion enginelllustrating an embodiment of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevationillustratlng certain features. of the invention 1 as herein. embodied Fig; 3 is an enlarged section'atview taken through the contact roller asherein included -Fig. ,4c .isa view artl y inclevatron and ustrating the rotatable ,Fig. .5 is a viewinelevationofthe rotatcontact disk as herein included Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the conductor plates as herein set forth;

Fig. ,7 is a, transversesectional view taken through the rotating element or conductor shaft and illustrating the spring contact operatively engaged with a spark plug; and

Fig. 8 .is a view in perspective of the spri contact plate aS illustrated in Fig. 7, detac ed.

.As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, M denotes a motor of an internal combustion type herein disclosed as comprising four cylinders and with each of which coacts in a conventional manner the spark plug S disposed through the cylinder head, and overlying said heads is the tubular metallic shaft 1 rotatably supported by the bearing 2 aflixed to a. certain cylinder head, andone end of the shaft 1 is provided with asolid extension 3 .to which is afiixed the sprocket wheel .4 adapted to be operatively connected with a movable part of the motor Min order to-time the sparks for a purpose which is believed to be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains. It will be understood that in lieu of asprocket wheel 4: suitable gearing may be interposed between thecxtension 3 and,a movable part of the motor. The particular means for rotating theshaft forms no essential .part of my invention as herein embodied.

The extension 3 is of a diameter slightlv less thanthe diameter of the tubular shaft lso that the shoulder 5 is afforded which coacts with an adjacent bearing .6 .to prevent endwise .nlav ofthc tubular shaft 1 in one direction,.and-keyed or otherwise secured .to theextension3is a collar 7 coacting with the opposite side of said bearing 6, whereby play with the tubular shaft 1 in an opposite direction is prevented.

Theoppositc .end portion of the tubular shaft l'has suitably fixed thereto a disk 8 of suitable insulating material and provided while the second set of contacts 11 are electrically connected through the medium of the conductors Z) with the annular cont-act rings 12 surrounding the shaft. 1 at prede termincd points intermediate the length thereof and with which are engaged the spring contacts is connected with the spark plugs S. It is to be noted that the extremity of each of the spring contacts 1 t bear ng upon an annular contact 12 is provlded wlth the depending transversely spaced ears 15 coacting with the opposite sides of the annular contact 12 whereby said spring contact 14 is held against displacement relative to the contact 12.

The conductors a and b are disposed within the tubular shaft 1, which, after the conductors a and b have been properly connected, is filled with wax or the like in order to maintain the portions of the conductors a and 1) within the shaft 1 in substantially a fixed position. It is also to be noted that the annular contacts or rings 12 are insulated from the shaft 1 through the medium of the annular fiber rings 16 surrounding the shaft 1 and interposed between said shaft and the inner walls of the annular contact members or rings 12.

The contacts 11 are the low tension contacts while the contacts 11 are the high tension contacts, and coacting with said contacts 11 and 11 are the conductor plates 17 carried by the opposite sides of the insulated arm 18, said plates 17 having rotatabl supported between their contacting en s the roller 19 of insulated material and provided at its periphery with the transversely d1sposedannular plates 20 of conductive material which are adapted to contact w1th the surfaces 10.

The opposite end of each of the plates 17 is pivotally engaged as at 1'?" with a conductor plate 22 carried by a plate 24 1n connection with the high tension terminals of the coil or with the low tension terminals of the coil. The plates 22 are insulated one from the other through the medium of the insulated body 23. The pivotal connection of the plates 17 and 22 permit an adjustment of the plates 17 or more particularly the roller 19 relative to the disk 8 for the purpose of spark control, as is believed to be clearly obvious to those famlliar with sys tems of this general character.

The arm 18 is provided with an extension 25 with which coacts the retractile spring 26 for normally maintaining the roller 19 in contact with the surfaces 10 of the disk 8, and also operatively engaged with the extension 25 is the spark control rod 27 which is operatively engaged with the spark rod R carried by the steering column and of a well known type.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a system constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise ar rangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

I claim:

1. In combination with a spark plug of an internal combustion engine and a source of energy connected with said plug, a circuit closer interposed in the connection between the spark plug and the source comprising a rotatable conductor shaft, an annular contact member surrounding the shaft and insulated therefrom, a spring arm electrically connected with the plug and contacting with the annular contact member, an insulated disk fixed to the rotatable conductor shaft and having contacts embedded therein, one of said contacts being electrically connected with the conductor shaft to afford a ground and the second contact being electrically connected with the annular contact, a pivotally supported plate adapted to coact with each of the embedded contacts of the disk, said plates'being operatively connected with the electrical source and insulated one from the other, and means for maintaining said Eggs in contact with the periphery of the 2. In combination with a spark plug of an internal combustion engine and a source of energy connected with said plug, a circuit closer interposed in the connection between the spark plug and the source comprising a rotatable conductor shaft, an annular contact member surrounding the shaft and insulated therefrom, a spring arm electrically connected with the plug and contacting with the annular contact member, an insulated disk fixed to the rotatable conductor shaft and having contacts embedded therein, one of said contacts being electrical] connected with the conductor shaft to a 0rd a ground and the second contact being electrically connected with the annular contact, a pivotally supported plate adapted to coact with each of the embedded contacts of the disk, said plates being operatively connected with the electrical source and insulated one from the other, means for maintaining said lates in contact with the periphery of the isk, and means for imparting movement to the plates relative to the disk for controlling the spark.

3. In combination with a spark plug of an internal combustion engine and a source of energy connected with said plug, a circuit closer interposed in the connection between the spark plug and the source comprising a rotatable conductor shaft, an annular contact member surrounding the shaft rotatable conductor shaft, an annular conand insulated therefrom, a spring arm elec tact member surrounding the shaft and intrically connected with the plug and consulated therefrom, a sprmg arm electricallly; tacting with the annular contact member, an connected with the plug and contacting wit 5 insulated disk fixed to the rotatable conthe annular contact member, an insulated 80 ductor shaft and having contacts embedded disk fixed to the rotatable conductor shaft cally connected with the conductor shaft to of said contacts being electrically connected a 0rd a ground and the second contact bewith the conductor shaft to afford a ground 1 ing electrically connected with the annular and the second contact being electrically contact, a pivotally supported plate adapted connected with the annular contact, a pivotto coact with each of the embedded contacts ally supported plate adapted to coact with of the disk, said plates being operatively each of the embedded contacts of the disk, connected with the electrical source and insaid plates being operativelyconnected with i sulated one from the other, means for mainthe electrical source and insulated one from 40 taining said plates in contact with the pethe other, and means for maintaining said riphery of the disk, said conductor shaft belates in contact with the periphery of the ing hollow and having the connections leadisk. ing from the disk arranged interiorly there- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 9 of, and a filling within the conductor shaft. signature in the presence of two witnesses.

4. In combination with a spark plug of an i OLE HOLEN.

energy connected wlt said plug, a circuit Witnesses: closer interposed in the connection between P. L. SOLE the spark plug and the source comprising a A. MARTINSON.

00p!" of this patent may he obtained for five cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner 02 rebate, v 

